Brooder bedding - why didn't I think of this before?

[Arielle]

So happy to hear from others who have reservations about shavings.

After a few days of paper towels and using oh about 10 rolls, I decided this was for the birds! And the bag of shavings, it sits out in the barn after watching all the peck, peck peck. I resorted to a remnant from Job Lot, for a 3 yd length of heavy cloth it cost $6! And I just shake it out every few days. Much easier. It actually stays drier than I thought it would , too! Thanks for validating my worries about shavings.

 

[countrylif101]

I have hatched 3 silkie chicks in the past two days number 4 is pipped before i came to work. My wife thought of the idea for us to use some old towels for the brooder box we are currently using. I am hoping when I get home in a couple of hours I can see what chick number 4 looks like. I'm not sure who is enjoying hatching eggs more me or my kids.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I thought that I was the only one who didn't use or had reservations about using shavings. I see tons of pics of people who use shavings and I just get chill bumps all over and I cringe when I see that. I picture all of my chicks dieing from eating the shavings. To me, it's an accident/death waiting to happen. I know that people have used them for years and it has worked for them. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to use shavings. I wouldn't get any sleep at night worrying if the babies are eating the shavings.

Glad that your heavy cloth is worth. That was a steal for $6.00. Great find!

 

[gmendoza]

A good liner is those rubber mats that you can buy at dollar general. They are table liners for motor homes.They wont slip off of tables,they are made of rubber and are washable/reuseable and are only a buck.Much cheaper buying anything out in the market today. Its called griptex,but the plain-wrap version is griprite or something like that.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I think everyone should use whatever brooder bedding that it pleases them to use. Your chicks, your brooder, your call.

But what I don't understand is why some of you are so resistant to the idea of using shavings when it sounds like from what you've posted above that you have never actually USED them before.

Use them or don't use them I don't care, but I can say that this fear of the birds eating the shavings and dying because of it is completely unfounded. I have 120 chicks on shavings in two brooders right this moment. All doing just fine. They scratch and peck through the shavings constantly because it is a chicken's nature to scratch and peck any time they are on a surface that allows them to do so. I've raised hundreds of chicks like this and untold millions have been raised on shavings for many decades now. So long as there is feed in the brooder and they know where it is they will eat the feed not the shavings.

Use whatever bedding you like. They are your birds. But some of you seem to have made up your mind about how bad shavings are without ever having actually tried them before.

 

[gmendoza]

usually I use those griptex liners,but I have my recent chicks on pine shavings.I like the compost ideas for them. Recycle/reuse.

 

[kuntrygirl]

A.T. Hagan :

I think everyone should use whatever brooder bedding that it pleases them to use. Your chicks, your brooder, your call.

But what I don't understand is why some of you are so resistant to the idea of using shavings when it sounds like from what you've posted above that you have never actually USED them before.

Use them or don't use them I don't care, but I can say that this fear of the birds eating the shavings and dying because of it is completely unfounded. I have 120 chicks on shavings in two brooders right this moment. All doing just fine. They scratch and peck through the shavings constantly because it is a chicken's nature to scratch and peck any time they are on a surface that allows them to do so. I've raised hundreds of chicks like this and untold millions have been raised on shavings for many decades now. So long as there is feed in the brooder and they know where it is they will eat the feed not the shavings.

Use whatever bedding you like. They are your birds. But some of you seem to have made up your mind about how bad shavings are without ever having actually tried them before.

I agree. I'm resistant (and I have never actually USED it before) because it LOOKS unsafe. I will not use something that I am not comfortable using. I have actually visited other chicken owners that use shavings and I have picked up the shavings and watched the chicks and it makes me cringe to see it. Frightening sight. I guess it's the same as the guinea who died with some type of thread inside of it (from a used towel). I, like you, have raised hundreds of baby chicks on towels and puppy pads for 10 years and have never lost one. Any my recycled towels and puppy pads are free. I can't get free shavings.

I have not paid a penny for bedding in 10 years.

Just a personal choice for every chicken owner. Sounds like shavings work for you. Way to go.​

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I got some free liners from a friend and I have thought about those as well. I feel comfortable with those liners. I will be putting them in my nesting boxes under the hay.

 

[andalusn]

I use the liner for drawers, it looks like the Griptex roll mentioned earlier in my incubator when it's time to hatch but other than that I don't brood inside the house. I have a wooden box my DH built out in the barn with a heat lamp and I either use hay leavings from the bales or pine pellets softened with water. When it's spent it goes into the compost with all the other manure.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

Wow...I must be strange. I use a layer of construction sand. It's got small, med and larger sized pebbles. They love to scratch and dust themselves in it. Easy to clean by using a cat litter scoop. Gets a bit dusty if you keep it in the house, but I have an area that I set up using a 25 ft of poly coated chicken wire reinforced with 3 foot wooden dowels weaved in and out of the mesh. I then put a roll of that plastic yard edging around the inside of the wire then dump in about and inch of sand. I suspend the heat lamp which also warms the sand up, so there's a nice sized area for them to lay. I can toss little treats into them and they get to scratch around for them. I always elevate my feed and water about 3 inches off the ground to keep the dirt and poop out. I know when it's time to move them to a bigger space when they've acheived the feat of roosting on top of the feeder! I usually graduate them to a bigger sized wire and larger area as they grow until it's no longer needed.